When you’re behind the wheel of a vehicle, it’s an incredible machine—thousands of moving parts are working together, electrical and mechanical systems are working in tandem, and everything is functioning in perfect harmony to get you from one place to another, fast. When you’re not behind the wheel or your vehicle has met the end of its life, however, your car might not seem all that impressive.

If you’re the owner of a salvage yard in Courtenay, BC, a broken down vehicle is just as impressive as a properly working one, simply because of all the different parts and pieces that can still be salvaged and used. Take a look at what an auto recycler sees in your vehicle long after you’re through with it:

Used parts: Just because your vehicle has seen better days as a whole doesn’t mean that there aren’t still parts and pieces in optimal working condition! Engine parts, driveline components and even interior fixtures can all be salvaged and used to breathe extended life into another vehicle. Where you see a complete mess, an auto recycler sees an “organ donor” that could save the life of another vehicle.

Scrap metal: For those parts that can’t be used, all is not lost! Vehicles sitting in a salvage yard in Courtenay, BC that have been completely parted out are still candidates for scrap, which can fetch a pretty penny per ton based on the market price for different metals. And, since about 65 percent of your vehicle is made from metal, it’s not hard to get a good chunk of change from a few old vehicles.

Electrical components: While some vehicle parts can only be transplanted to similar or identical vehicles, electrical components are much more versatile. These salvageable parts are often used for various implementations and can also fetch a good price depending on the quality and versatility of the part being saved.

Chemicals and fluids: Not every part of a vehicle is salvageable or recyclable—case in point, the various chemicals and fluids within an auto. But, just because these substances can’t be used to reap a profit doesn’t stop an auto recycler from doing their due diligence in disposing of them properly. When a vehicle arrives at a salvage yard in Courtenay, BC, one of the first things that an auto recycler will do is make sure that it’s not leaking fluids into the surrounding environment, which can create irreversible harm if left to leak.

At the end of the day, all of the amazing aspects of your vehicle that you notice while driving it are the same things that an auto recycler sees, only from a different perspective. The frame that keeps you safe can be recycled as scrap metal; the parts that keep you moving can be used to save other vehicles; the electrical components that afford you control and stability can be resold; and the chemicals and fluids that keep everything lubricated can be responsibly disposed of to prevent environmental damage.